Eduardo Xol has made a name for himself as an exterior designer on ABC-TV’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”
So what tips can this outdoor guy give homeowners for enhancing our decorative sense indoors? Room recently caught up to Xol to talk about his new book “Home Sense: Simple Solutions to Enhance Where and How You Live” (Rayo, $24.95).
Why are plants always included in your designs?
I’m a green kind of guy. I believe in taking care of plants and incorporating them into the way we live. Plants are living beings that have a positive affect on us.
What advice would you give for designing with plants?
Take inventory of (the) light specific areas in your house as well as the general room temperature. Then go to your local nursery and ask experts about what indoor plants would be best for a Colorado environment…
I usually will design, compose and decorate a room with all the interior elements first, such as furniture, lighting and bigger pieces. Then I see where there is space to add plants. The plants are more like accesories. The best thing to do is to look at your space and think of your plant as not only a living thing, but as a piece of art, a sculpture. If you have a corner of the house that is empty, put a tall plant there.
If you have a transitional space from indoors to outdoors, such as a mud room, have a plant in a pot – one inside and one outside.
What are your favorite plants to use in decorating?
Orchids. They can be diffcult to grow and it takes a lot of work. Indoor plants I prefer include palms, bamboo and rafus. Your choice may also have to do with decor. If you have a Polynesian decor in the house, palms and bamboo go great. But if you have a New England vibe, you may want to use hanging ferns.
Does taking care of plants require any special skill?
For the most part, plants are happy with a little bit of sunlight and some water. Plant food and vitams are good too. For beginners, start with something small, such as a little container with spider plants in it. Succulents are also good for beginners.
I think that taking care of plants teaches us how to take care of the planet. There’s a whole movement right now about what’s going on with the planet and reusing things. I think that if more people had a relationship with plants or animals, we would be a lot more aware and it would be easier. I encourage people to be hands on. There is a difference between having a garden that somebody else takes care of versus one you work in. It’s important to have a personal relationship with plants.
What’s your take on artificial plants?
I’m not a big fan of artificial plants. But recently, this friend of mine did this arrangement of orchids in a container and incorporated artificial plants at the base to help sculpt the arrangement. It was pretty cool.
Staff Writer Sheba R. Wheeler can be reached at 303-954-1283 or swheeler@denverpost.com.
